


in the universe next door

by the_crownless_queen



Category: Avengers, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: (he's the major character death btw), Gen, I'm calling this my rage fix-it, Infinity War AU, also i wanted Thanos dead, i was rewatching the movie and Loki's behavior is such bs i had to do something, it's kinda crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 09:50:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17578598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_crownless_queen/pseuds/the_crownless_queen
Summary: When Thanos reaches for Loki’s throat, his hand goes right through Loki’s image, like he’d never been there at all.Of course he hadn’t been.





	in the universe next door

Thor knows, the instant he hears the word  _ Odinson _ cross Loki’s lips, the moment he sees that dagger appear in a flash of green light, that he will not like what comes next.

He is right, of course.

Loki tries to stab Thanos in the throat the second he’s sworn his loyalty, and Thor would laugh at how quintessentially  _ Loki _ that gesture is if he wasn’t too busy struggling against his bounds, heart painfully hammering in his chest with the awful certitude he’s about to watch his brother die again.

Only… When Thanos reaches for Loki’s throat — Loki’s, whose hand has been halted by the space stone he’d been carrying and handed over for Thor’s life — his hand goes right through Loki’s image, like he’d never been there at all.

Of course he hadn’t been.

Thor’s heart lurches in his chest with wretched hope, and he can only watch as Thanos snarls and spins around.

It is too late for him, of course. Thor has seen Loki play this trick so many time before he could have predicted the outcome with his eyes closed — still, seeing Loki’s dagger burrow itself into Thanos's brain is viciously satisfying.

Even if it means Thanos’s… children? swear revenge on Loki.

(They look nothing like their ‘father’, and yet he referred to them as such. Thor guesses he’s the last one who should be casting stones about adoption, but this still seems a bit much.)

Maw, the one who wrapped those iron bindings around him, sends more at Loki, who counters them with a wave of green fire even as he waves them aside. His little brother snarls as he tosses another wave of daggers toward Thanos’s other children — they find their mark, but not enough so to be deadly, and Loki is forced to duck as they retaliate, screaming the name of their dead father with rage.

Still, it’s enough a distraction that Thor’s bindings loosen and he wrenches himself free, yanking off his gag with a scream as he joins the fight.

They’re outnumbered, but even so, Thanos’s children don’t really stand a chance. Not when they stand in metal and Thor can control lightning, not when Loki’s there, a ghost on the wind, ready to finish off any fell enemy.

When it’s over, they’re both sore and bleeding from over a dozen gashes, but their enemies are dead.

"I didn't think that'd work," Loki says, bending down to pick up one of his discarded daggers. His chest is heaving, and he looks at it like he can’t believe it’s real — like he can’t believe he’s still alive.

Thor’s stomach twists. Sometimes he can’t believe it either.

"Then why did you do it?"

Loki shoots him a frustrated look as he bends down and tugs another dagger free. It squelches as it leaves the body, and Loki pulls a face as he wipes it clean of dark blood before vanishing it with a flash of green. 

"Don’t worry, brother, I had a contingency plan," Loki replies, already moving toward the next dagger.

Thor sighs, amusement tugging at his lips despite everything. "... Let me guess, you were gonna fake your death again.” 

It’s not funny, it shouldn’t be funny — he still  _ remembers, _ down to his bones, how it feels to mourn his brother. It’s not something to make light of.

"No, I was going to fake yours,” Loki drawls, rolling his eyes. “Of course, I was going to fake my death.” He scoffs. “I’ll have you know it's an excellent plan.” 

“It’s a terrible plan,” Thor counters, crossing his arms. His eye falls to the destruction around them, and he has to swallow past the sudden lump in his throat. “I have mourned you twice, brother. Please don't make me go through it again.”

It is nothing he hasn’t said before, but the words are as raw and truthful as ever. If he lost Loki now… He doesn’t know what would become of him.

“Hmph.” Loki grimaces, but he shrugs. “I guess that would be predictable now, wouldn’t it?” he says, and Thor grins.

He’ll take it.

He slaps Loki on the shoulder, pulling him into a one-armed hug his brother half-heartedly tries to struggle out of.

He lets Loki go with a laugh when his brother pulls out another dagger, but the merriment doesn’t last.

How could it, faced with so much senseless destruction and death?

Thor sighs, and Loki stares at him blankly. “What now?” Thor asks.

Loki shrugs, his lips quirking up minutely. “Perhaps you might want to try contacting the Valkyrie and our people, reassure them their king isn’t dead yet.”

That is surprisingly good advice, coming from his brother — perhaps even  _ too _ good —  but Thor is too tired for suspicion right now. He finds he doesn’t have the heart for it. Loki came back,  _ stayed, _ and they just won a battle together. That has to mean something.

Speaking of…

“You realize I’m going to need a proper explanation now, right?”

Loki grimaces. “Are you sure it’s too late to fake my death again?”

Despite himself, Thor’s lips twitch into a grin.  _ “Yes.” _

**Author's Note:**

> (Meanwhile Earth is sorta panicking because Bruce is there, talking about Thanos but nobody's coming)
> 
> Might write a sequel-ish thing if there's interest, might not.


End file.
